Laudato Si – Encyclical Letter of Pope Francis on the Environment

Pope Francis has written a letter to the “Catholic world” (and to all people of the earth) about our common home. A link is provided here to the entire document translated into English.

It should be noted that the Director of the Center for Faith and Giving recognizes that this pastoral and prophetic word will not be greeted warmly by all who read it as it calls for major shifts in the way we view our lives in relation to the earth and to one another. It is a radical call from consumerism to conservation and a truthful acknowledgment that technological advances alone will not rectify the problems we face. The document and the Pope himself will likely face severe criticism for the political implications of the document’s conclusion. Rev. Barkhauer urges church leaders to help engage people of faith in the conversation and to assist individuals in understanding that the document is a theological reflection, first and foremost. The political ramifications grow out from the biblical assertions. It will require political will and capital to implement the necessary changes to our culture. We may not agree on the suggested methods of how to make the necessary changes, but we should not allow the proposed solutions to shroud the argument that the changes are necessary none-the-less.